Pastor's Circle - Darryl Starnes

Darryl Starnes serves as a bishop for the AME Zion Church. He came on The Matt Friedeman Show to share his insights into the Christmas story. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

What is the most surprising insight into the Christmas story?

Well, you know this subject is so exhausted. But one of the surprising things is the unlikely links in the chain of Christ's genealogy.

You find a woman who acted like a prostitute, by the name of Tamar. You find another woman, Rahab, who was a prostitute. You find a Moabite, Ruth. And then you find a woman who committed adultery, Bathsheba.

It shows me that God can use people who the world would never expect to bring his good news.

What do we learn from the shepherds?

It is so clear that the Lord is here and he is bringing God to everybody. God is with all of us.

Often the elite feel like the best things in life are for them, and those who are not elite feel like it's not for them. But the good news is for the poor.

God chooses a few people and he brings the good news to everybody.

What about Joseph?

Often overlooked. Can you imagine the faith that he had to have, and that Mary had to have?

To know that the angel told her she was going to have a baby and the Holy Spirit was going to get her with child; how do you explain that to Joseph?

But even before the angel came to him, he was going to handle it in a way that was not harmful or hurtful.

This shows us that once we know God, he may use us to do things that we never imagined were possible.

Think about the importance of timing in this story. Had Joseph not left Bethlehem when he was told to leave, can you imagine what would have happened?

This is why we must do what the Lord says, do it on time, and do it the way he tells us to do it.

Are we too often, like Herod, intimidated by Jesus?

It was not only Herod who was in an uproar, but Scripture says it was also all of Jerusalem.

I think there is a part in all of us that does not want to bow our knee to the Lord and Creator, Jesus Christ. All of us remember when we refused to do so.

But all of us who have bowed our knee know that it was the best thing we have ever done. He brings love, he brings joy, he brings peace, and our only regret is that we did not do it earlier.

Why are we reluctant to surrender to Christ?

I believe we are afraid that we will miss out on things that we love to do and love to be. But we are not aware that "no good thing will he withhold from us".

The truth is the best thing we will ever do is let him in, because he saves us from ourselves.